When Bess, a naive young woman, marries Jan, a handsome oil-rig worker, she experience passion and physical pleasure that she never imagined. Their bliss is cut short when an explosion on the rig leaves Jan paralyzed. Believing he will never make love to Bess again, he tells her to take other lovers, convincing her that this will help his recovery. Bess is sent spiraling into a world of dark emotions she cannot understand.